I saw this yesterday and I was very impressed. It isn't deep by any means but it is a well made fun movie. Jack Black is pefect and so is Joan Cusack (who I normally dislike). It is a very well made feel good comedy.
My roomate got free passes to see this... should we actually go?
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what do you think?
I'm thinking, no, stay home and watch a Criterion DVD...
Sounds like a good date movie.
Quote from: SoNowThenI'm thinking, no, stay home and watch a Criterion DVD...
What if Criterion releases School of Rock?
Quote from: RaviQuote from: SoNowThenI'm thinking, no, stay home and watch a Criterion DVD...
What if Criterion releases School of Rock?
Well, I'll have to wait for a year then, so I can't very well watch it this weekend, can I?
Lol, tho.... think of the special features.... Jack Black on Charlie Rose or something...
I think it's a good family film. I can't really think of any reason it's actually rated PG-13, in fact. Jack Black works really well with the kids. I wasn't completely satisfied, though...I think it's entirely dependent on Blacks' performance, and he delivers, but without him the bad script would be far more apparent. But I still recommend it.
My full review. (http://www.road-dog-productions.com/schoolofrock.html)
Quote from: SoNowThenMy roomate got free passes to see this... should we actually go?
If you like rock or if you like Jack Black, it is. It's fun to hear the classic rock music, along with classic rock concert clips along with classic rock album titles and classic rock impersonations.
i was astonished when i heard rick linklater's name attached to this - but i was pleasantly surprised when i saw it. it's fun. nothing more, nothing less.
Quote from: SoNowThenMy roomate got free passes to see this...should we actually go?
Quote from: Ghostboy... it's entirely dependant on Black's performance...
Quote from: NEON MERCURY just now in answer to SoNowThen's questionNo...
I just saw a sneak preview of this, I wouldn't go so far as to call it a good movie, a little Jack Black goes a long way for me.
.man..i just caught the tv spot for this... :roll:
correct me if i am wrong but it looks like a cheesy kids film about a slacker that teaches some kids how to fullfill their dreams of playing in a band..
and as far as jack goes Jesus' Son is his only good role....and fidelity was okay..
Quote from: NEON MERCURY.man..i just caught the tv spot for this... :roll:
correct me if i am wrong but it looks like a cheesy kids film about a slacker that teaches some kids how to fullfill their dreams of playing in a band..
no it's a cheesy kids film about a slacker who wants to fulfill his dreams of playing in a band and teaches kids about the joys of rock
but it is fun.
Roger Ebert gave this movie 3 and a half fucking stars. :(
My local newspaper give it an A+
and i read in another review that they labled it as an unofficial sequil to High Fidelity, like what happened after Barry did his little concert and such.
Just got back from the Jack Black attack. The best I can say is cute. It was a cute movie. If I had to pick it apart I'd say no character arc at all. Not enough to really care about JB that is. The kids, eh, Marta was cool, but the rest came no where near their potential. We need to hear Zack schred, and where's Lawrences "Data" type stereotypical asian schtick? And the poor kid that played the 'stylists'. What will they say Monday in SchooOOHool?
He really should have boned Mrs Mullins and then smoked a doobie. Probably the think that made me laugh the most was Snake's moves during the battle of the bands.
But the direction! The direction, or at least editing was bad. OK, we got, medium two shot...let's move on. I felt really clausterphobic because we never got to see much beyond the medium shot. Also the sound was terrible, it sounded like it was recorded in a studio and synced up later and the movie just missed several opportunities to rock out.
i liked this movie. it was a good JB showcase. i have no idea why it was rated pg-13. there were no drugs or bad words or nuthin. it had a lot more "heart" than i expected, but i found myself laughing through most of the movie. the opening credits thingy was cool too.
i saw it. it's ok. if it gets to cable, i'd probably watch it, but that's it.
funny story. *followed by funny story*
while we were waiting for the theater to clear out, a man just started speaking like he was in the middle of a conversation, "i guess the movie was so good they felt the need to make it twice. It's like The Commitments with out the Scotish accent. blah,blahblah."
we were like, "yeah, ok."
anyone know this movie?
This was a great film. That saying 'a feel-good movie' applies here. I was smiling the entire time. It was just a lotta fun. In fact, the audience I saw it with collectively applauded after the Battle and after the end credits. Jack Black was at his best and kids weren't that smart annoying type.
I saw it last night. it makes me want to start a rock band, in the same way Ferris Bueler's Day Off made me want to skip school. I don't see why people here are being so hard on it...
I think I was just in a rare negative mood when I saw it last month -- I liked it a whole lot more when I saw it again this weekend. It's slight, but rather wonderful at the same time.
Quote from: GhostboyI think it's a good family film. I can't really think of any reason it's actually rated PG-13, in fact. Jack Black works really well with the kids. I wasn't completely satisfied, though...I think it's entirely dependent on Blacks' performance, and he delivers, but without him the bad script would be far more apparent. But I still recommend it.
My full review. (http://www.road-dog-productions.com/schoolofrock.html)
I didn't think the script was "bad." A lesser script might have made the principal and parents over-the-top bad guys. And it would have been predictable to have a romance develop between Jack Black and Joan (almost wrote "John") Cusack. You're right about it being entirely dependent on Jack Black's peformance, but its pointless to imagine anyone else in the his shoes.
I had fun watching the movie. It was pretty funny and Jack Black was terrific.
They showed some ass-horrible trailers before the film. "Honey"? Come on!
oddly enough, this movie has extremely high ratings on rotten tomatoes
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/SchoolofRock-1126023/
of 128 reviews, 117 are "Fresh" and only 11 are "rotten".
I liked this movie only. Not as good as what some people are saying. It relies too much on the gimmick idea of starting a band with kids and what could happen just from that. The movie never really ventures from that area at all. If the movie had the gimmick of being about the characters first and foremost, a better and more enjoyable movie could have been made.
~rougerum
Quote from: meatballMmm... EEz28, you never fail to please the senses. :twisted:
its just a formula
Quote from: The Gold TrumpetI liked this movie only. Not as good as what some people are saying. It relies too much on the gimmick idea of starting a band with kids and what could happen just from that. The movie never really ventures from that area at all. If the movie had the gimmick of being about the characters first and foremost, a better and more enjoyable movie could have been made.
~rougerum
Characters, pfff. That went out with 78 rpm records.
i think its from the alyssa milano movie "embrace of the vampire."
I saw it again tonight...and I have to say I enjoyed it more this time. A lot more Baby.
LOVED this movie!!! Definitely one of the best of the year, definitely the funniest of the year. Jack Black finally had the opportunity to really show how funny he is and he nailed it. He even got some the non-comedic stuff right. I got chills during the "Bonzo Goes to Bitburg" montage and when he first sees the kids playing their instruments and most of all when Zack is singing the song he wrote to everybody...when they're first figuring it out. VERY good, so much better than I expected. I expected it to be good, really good...but not classic. The kids were great too. The drummer and the bass player were the best....the guitar player too. They all rocked. This is how kid's movies should be. I really have to say, this movie is classic. It's underrated already.
I really dug this movie alot. I'm not sure what it is about Jack Black, but when he puts on that serious face I just start to laugh. At first I found that the movie made me smile big more than anything but when stuff like the rare blood disease started going on I was laughing uncontrollably...
Edit - The movie also had some great stuff for rock'n'roll fans too. The web of the different genres was awesomely cool...id like to take his rock history class
Spider was absolutely the funniest thing in the movie. I love his moves.
Quote from: The Gold TrumpetIf the movie had the gimmick of being about the characters first and foremost, a better and more enjoyable movie could have been made.
"...the gimmick of being about the characters...", eh? Which characters was it "not about"?
The Gold Trumpet, making very little sense since at least 2002.
"Gimmick" in that sentence was used in gist. I felt the movie was a pure genre movie. That doesn't mean it was about characters first and foremost, it means it is about the structure. Being about characters would break the tight genre structure surrounding it.
~rougerum
Quote from: The Gold TrumpetI felt the movie was a pure genre movie.
What genre is School of Rock a pure example of? How does its structure place it within its given genre?
1.) Comedy. 2.) In order to match lovable character (Black in new environment (teaching school), a ploy is created to somehow (little plausability) send him to new environment. At first, he is at odds with it but then the environment starts to grow on him (the kids in class) and he ends up caring for it. All this ends with him and everyone in the environment trying to achieve some task they thought impossible and strangely, they win (performing well as a band). This is the basic set up of most comedies. Example: Hardball, The Bad News Bears, About A Boy (with Grant getting kid to make friends), Little Giants, Necessary Roughness, The Major League movies, The Mighty Ducks movies. Topic of sports is most frequently used because it always ends with a "final game" to decide it all. This is similiar because it ends with a battle of the bands. They don't necessarily have to win actual game or event, but something greater than originally thought is always achieved. It is to supply heartfelt emotion.
~rougerum
Quote from: The Gold Trumpet1.) Comedy. 2.) In order to match lovable character (Black in new environment (teaching school), a ploy is created to somehow (little plausability) send him to new environment. At first, he is at odds with it but then the environment starts to grow on him (the kids in class) and he ends up caring for it. All this ends with him and everyone in the environment trying to achieve some task they thought impossible and strangely, they win (performing well as a band). This is the basic set up of most comedies. Example: Hardball, The Bad News Bears, About A Boy (with Grant getting kid to make friends), Little Giants, Necessary Roughness, The Major League movies, The Mighty Ducks movies. Topic of sports is most frequently used because it always ends with a "final game" to decide it all. This is similiar because it ends with a battle of the bands. They don't necessarily have to win actual game or event, but something greater than originally thought is always achieved. It is to supply heartfelt emotion.
1. OK, School of Rock is a "comedy." Thanks. My eyes are finally opened. Why are you grading against the film for being what it is? Why do you constantly insist on movies being somehow "outside" their given genres? You think all "comedies" are weak because they're in the "comedy" genre?
2. The structure you describe could be used in any number of genres. Character enters new situation; rebels; accepts; achieves beyond all expectation and learns in the process. Quick: what film does that describe? Answer: about a billion. That doesn't make it a weak film. What determines its merit is how the film makes us laugh or think or cry within its given format: School of Rock is hilarious. The premise is original enough to be engaging yet the rock cliches it skewers are so familiar, anyone can laugh at them. It doesn't need to be an "intense character study that engages the audience at an intellectual level." It just has to make funny things happen; this film does that....
3. You still haven't even come near explaining your original complaint, that the movie should have focused on "characters" instead of its "comedy structure." Which characters were underdeveloped? Who did you need to know more about for this movie to work? Who's "character arc," had it been more thoroughly explored, would've made this a funnier, tighter film? Or are you, as usual, just full of hot air on this one?
Quote from: MeshQuote from: The Gold Trumpet1.) Comedy. 2.) In order to match lovable character (Black in new environment (teaching school), a ploy is created to somehow (little plausability) send him to new environment. At first, he is at odds with it but then the environment starts to grow on him (the kids in class) and he ends up caring for it. All this ends with him and everyone in the environment trying to achieve some task they thought impossible and strangely, they win (performing well as a band). This is the basic set up of most comedies. Example: Hardball, The Bad News Bears, About A Boy (with Grant getting kid to make friends), Little Giants, Necessary Roughness, The Major League movies, The Mighty Ducks movies. Topic of sports is most frequently used because it always ends with a "final game" to decide it all. This is similiar because it ends with a battle of the bands. They don't necessarily have to win actual game or event, but something greater than originally thought is always achieved. It is to supply heartfelt emotion.
1. OK, School of Rock is a "comedy." Thanks. My eyes are finally opened. Why are you grading against the film for being what it is? Why do you constantly insist on movies being somehow "outside" their given genres? You think all "comedies" are weak because they're in the "comedy" genre?
2. The structure you describe could be used in any number of genres. Character enters new situation; rebels; accepts; achieves beyond all expectation and learns in the process. Quick: what film does that describe? Answer: about a billion. That doesn't make it a weak film. What determines its merit is how the film makes us laugh or think or cry within its given format: School of Rock is hilarious. The premise is original enough to be engaging yet the rock cliches it skewers are so familiar, anyone can laugh at them. It doesn't need to be an "intense character study that engages the audience at an intellectual level." It just has to make funny things happen; this film does that....
3. You still haven't even come near explaining your original complaint, that the movie should have focused on "characters" instead of its "comedy structure." Which characters were underdeveloped? Who did you need to know more about for this movie to work? Who's "character arc," had it been more thoroughly explored, would've made this a funnier, tighter film? Or are you, as usual, just full of hot air on this one?
1.) I am and also, am not. As originally stated, I enjoyed the movie. Its just that hype for this film suggested something above and beyond all other comedies. I disagree. Its just as my opinion states, this is a genre movie. Genres just have limitations to what they can and can not be.
2.) It achieves its purpose of engagement, yea, but other comedies do go further in being about more about characters. Also, they are just better written. To remind again, I liked the movie. It just isn't anything more than a genre movie.
3.) Finally, to explain myself in how I see this film as genre only: All characters are essentially playing characters that can be summed up in nearly one sentence and perfectly operate to push the structure. To roll down the line:
Jack Black is playing the same character as usual. Lovable dufus who is pigeonholed by everyone around him, but in his own way, rises up to meet challenges around him.
The best friend is used specifically in points only: He use to be in the music scene, but dropped and faced reality. His girlfriend, very one vowel stated, is against him continually being nice to Black in all his slob manner. Her purpose is to just be against Black. His purpose, at the end, is to tell the audience she is wrong and join see Black's band perform at the event. His line while leaving suggests end of relationship and further insistence she is wrong.
The kids are all lined up in an identity roll call of little situations for Black to deal with:
The smart ass girl who ends up being manager (forget name) is trying to make friends with everyone else and find a purpose worthy of her talents in the process.
The guitarist is the gifted, but disallowed to be able to create type. His situation is his dad is against rock n roll because he thinks its corruptive. The resolution of the family debacle is just that his dad sees how good his son is when performing and accepts rock n roll just like that.
The Liberacci admiring, very critical and gifted 10 year old is implausible because for the costumes he makes at the end are so thought out in a very gifted manner it is highly unlikely that he did it himself. The purpose of him is to say funny remarks (did well) and represent another niche of the class in personality standards.
All of the kids in the movie are in implausible situations and set ups, but are there to entertain and touch us on points correlating with movie and its build up to the final concert. Everything is really chordal in trying to affect you in certain ways through out the movie, very representative of the stiff genre. Not that all are bad, but definitely have limitations.
~rougerum
couldnt punch-drunk love or any movie for that matter be summed up by boiling it down to the basic themes/character types?
Adam Sandler plays Barry Egan, a shy sad-sack with a great deal of repressed anger that occasionally bursts forth in sudden violent outrages, who falls in love with Lena Leonard (Emily Watson), a co-worker of one of Barry's seven sisters. After calling a phone-sex line, Barry is extorted by bad-guy Dean Trumbell (Philip Seymour Hoffman), who eventually sends four goons to assault Barry and get the money.
now does that sound like anything profoundly interesting? no, but the rest lies in the film.
Of course movies can be summed up to easy identities with characters, but as I was identifying these people, I did go further and show how through those sumnations, the characters actually really only lived through them. Nothing more. One can admire School of Rock and not deny its a very efficient, calculated existence as a comedy trying to make us laugh and care at point plots all over the movie. The difference in these plot points is that the characters stem from them instead of plot points stemming from characters.
~rougerum
Jack Black Wants a Bite of Sabbath
LOS ANGELES - Jack Black, currently reveling in the success of "The School Rock," says he would like to bite into the role of Ozzy Osbourne in the proposed movie of the personality's life.
Osbourne is the lead singer for legendary metal band Black Sabbath who once bit the head off a live bat on stage. Black fronts the band Tenacious D, but has not eaten any live animals on stage, to our knowledge.
According to the New York Post, Black pleaded his case to Osbourne's wife Sharon on her syndicated talk show last week.
Black reportedly said, "Ozzy was a hero of mine as a kid and I have to say, I've been tracking the Ozzy film. If anyone's Ozzy, I'm Ozzy."
He'd better get in line, though. Other stars said to be interested in portraying the Prince Of Darkness include actors Colin Farrell and Johnny Depp. Heartthrob Depp described Ozzy as "a deeply fascinating human being."
Black has words for at least one of his competitors: "Colin Farrell, he's a good-looking dude, all right. He's kind of studly, whatever. He doesn't know the rock, though.
..if jack black's name is thrown around for this how about tom green they are both funny in their annoying no talented stupid kind of way..
yeah, at long last i got a confirmation from amazon.com
I loved this movie. Saw it tonight, and can safely say it's one of the best of the year. Jack Black was great, as he always is, and the kids and Joan Cusack were great, and dodged cliches and stereotypes gracefully. I had a huge smile the whole time through this movie, and when I left, my cheeks hurt from laughing so much. I get the feeling everyone else in the audience felt the same way. Pretty much all of them stayed put when the credits started to roll and the kids jammed with Dewey back at his place. The music in this film was just so great, and the film delivered everything it promised and more. This is one of those special surprise films of the year. It helps if you like Jack Black. **** (9/10)
cover here. (http://www.dvdtown.com/coverart/School_Of_Rock__Widescreen_/11631/11631.jpg)
by the way, how does one person link an image like that to here?
Quote from: chuckhimselfoby the way, how does one person link an image like that to here?
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i love jack black. i love richard linklater. i love mike white. i love joan cusack as well.
why did i hate this movie?
i turned it off after the first half hour. another minute and i would've died of boredom. there are no good laughs, they try to milk the "jack black character" as much as possible, and i hate kids. i chuckled once or twice, but it wasn't enough to keep me interested. i guess hate is a strong word. if it was on tv, maybe i'd give it another chance. but i am a little angry that i spent $5 at blockbuster for it since netflix had a long wait.
I understand what your sayingf Taz. but I watched this the other night and I had alot of fun, maybe it was because I could really care less about the people in this movie, but regardless it was a very fun movie in my opinion.
Were you in a bad mood? I didn't really like it the first time I saw it either, but I had a terrible caffeine-withdrawal-induced-headache at the time, and a second viewing turned me on to it charms.
no big laughs? the part where they finally got past the audition (not going to spoil it if you haven't seen it) was hilarious. I just saw this on the airplane, and I dunno why, I always cry at in-flight movies (even the terrible deliverying milo). this film made me teary, yes it did.
i didn't get to that part, pete. i just thought the movie relied too heavily on jack black being able to carry the movie with his typical shtick and it didn't work. why exactly did linklater do this? all of his movies are appealing based on his dialogue. he was just being lazy here and it really shows.
I liked it accept for one part: when that kid gets chewed out by his dad in the parking lot and the Jack Black character is there to witness it all. I've seen that scene way too many times. This one brought nothing new to the table.
SPOILER................
One thing that bothered me about this movie is at the end when they go to the battle of the bands they are up against Deweys old band, but I didnt even know it until the third time I watched it. They should have made it more evident. that would have been cooler. The end though, does indeed rock.
Quote from: taz.i didn't get to that part, pete. i just thought the movie relied too heavily on jack black being able to carry the movie with his typical shtick and it didn't work..
it usually never does w/ black
Jack Black is the new Bill Murray. He does a fantastic job playing himself with several different names, but never really strays from just being himself.
Quote from: Pictures are PalsJack Black is the new Bill Murray. He does a fantastic job playing himself with several different names, but never really strays from just being himself.
uhh...that could also be a bad thing.
e.g. Pauly Shore
this film should have been called:
'school of my cock'
and had jack black masturbating to a mirror for 1.5hrs
it would have been less subtle, but the same idea
i don't believe i laughed once (except for once or twice at the beginning due to current parallels between blacks band and my own)
golden globe nomition for black for *that* performance???
it cheapens the other worthy nominees of this year, like jamie lee curtis for freaky friday.
I gather that not a lot of you are fans of Tenacious D.
HUGE tenacious d fan. saw them in concert, bought the dvd, the cd. i give and i give and i give to mr. black and he repays me with school of fucking rock...
did kyle make a cameo in this movie?
Quote from: taz.did kyle make a cameo in this movie?
Not that I can recall.
yeah he did.
Quote from: peteyeah he did.
Where? The final concert?
he's either one of the teachers at the parent-teacher conference or one of the competitors at the battle of the band tryout, can't remember which one.